ImYachtBoy

Money is money is money. If you spend money there, you can't spend money there. So they are incredibly related. I do not live there, but that has nothing to do with it. It has everything to do with the fact that they've been living without clean drinking water since April 2014, so I don't think it's "under control." How would you like to use hundreds of water bottles just to take a bath? Shit is not good there, and now we're spending upwards of $20B on a border fence when 1) illegal immigration is at an all-time low 2) illegal immigrants crime rates are the lowest they've been in history 3) the only thing that has bolstered the US population has been immigration. the birth rate per couple is ~1.8, to sustain the population you need an average of 2.1. By enforcing a border wall, you drive down immigration, lessen the amount of available money to the government (via taxes) and that's available in the system, tariffs go up, commodities and basic good prices go up, inflation takes hold. In a period of stagnating wages, higher inflation is like insanely not good. those are truths. individuals that hang on to the boogie man of the illegal immigrant holding the american people down have really go to check themselves. They have had impacts, but the rhetoric of Trump does not match up with what's going on in reality. Oh, if you took a small sample of middle-to-lower income class illegal immigrant families (who still contribute taxes and money into the economy), they probably paid more taxes than Trump over a given period.

so federal funds for building a $12-15B wall but let's stop the investigation and the funding to rectify the Flint water crisis?

indeed! thanks for the reply. as you can probably imagine, I don't agree with what you are saying there with my current political mindset, but I do see where you're coming from in some sense. What I am having a harder time figuring out is why you do not care about material conflicts around the world? I understand that DT won fairly and squarely (although his own rhetoric leading up, and even on, election day painted a v different picture than the one he portrays now), but that doesn't serve to negate the fact that certainly what's more importantly than him winning the presidency is what he will actually be doing these next 4 years! If he has large business ties and large debt holdings with institutions around the world (which would be detailed in his tax returns; his 108-pg financial disclosure which has no mention of his debtors) , which he most certainly does based off the returns we have been able to get a hold of - why would he be incentivized to impose to financial restrictions or sanctions? Looking at Russia, he is known to be indebted to Russian oligarchs (banks deem him too risky to lend to). The talk concerning some of the first orders of business: lifting Russian sanctions. As an American, I don't want to be super friendly to a country or an individual who makes his political prisoners "disappear," starves his constituents, institutes draconian civil rights (e.g. killing of political enemies, limiting free speech), or anything else for that matter. Many of my conservative friends are quick to point out Iran as a counterpoint. Well, shit, I don't like nukes. Does anyone other than Donald? Russia already has them, and Iran was in the process of developing them. I have a problem with Iran aiding Hamas or Hezbollah, and financing terrorism, as it does. I accept that. But I also don't want nukes. Nukes=end of times. We didn't make a deal to just make a deal. There are bright line steps that the administration had to take, backed by other superpowers such as France and Germany, to institute rules and procedures to decommission their nuclear arsenal. If anything, it would PREVENT nuclear arms from more easily getting into the hands of terrorists. We are LIMITING access to nukes. It hurts to hear R's (like Tom Cotton) conflating the issue by lumping in true aspects or Iran (like financing terrorism) and then linking it to world destruction and increased nuclear proliferation. That is simply a lie. The inability to hold two mutually exclusive thoughts in ones' head seems hard for many R's. Nuance and balance are out, and imho, that's what it takes to govern. All of this goes to the fact that Donald not divesting/putting in a blind trust his self-described BILLIONS in assets, he puts the country in grave danger by putting the interest of the country on or below that of his business priorities. I don't often want him to follow through lol, but I wish he would see the light on this one.

sorry, begin rant.exe: except the reasons that many view the aca as a "piece of shit" were the results of a series of capitulations and compromises that the dems engaged in due to the obstructionist agenda that was ran by the right. The repubs made aca terrible, blamed the dems, and came up with no solid solution for 8 years. Instituting repeal votes 60+ times without any alternative when there were already millions who purchased from the marketplace. that's a piece of shit move 60 times over. And right now, their brilliant plan is to build the plane as it falls from the sky. And while I hope that what they propose is a net benefit for all, the republicans are clearly wanting to shift towards privatization and power to the states. The go-to for limited government advocates: capitalism solves everything (who needs financial regulations, 1998, 2002, 2008, pssh!) and WE<3 states rights. why? because of a lack in accountability. Part of the purpose for federal oversight is just that - FEDERAL REGULATIONS. What happens when shit goes unaccounted for and state/municipal law makers run amok? You get Flint. You get situations like Ferguson where a law enforcement system is found to be objectively racist. Would we have ever uncovered that without federal oversight? Maybe. But at least we have concrete data now on the issues due to investigations. R's have always loved the idea of a lack of accountability combined with a puritan view of capitalism that is incredibly misinformed and has proven as such with ACTUAL FACTS/DATA over the years see, Bush era tax cuts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/01/02/the-legacy-of-the-bush-tax-cuts-in-four-charts/?utm_term=.11eb21ebc51b see for current admin purposes: Betsy DeVos' support of charter schools driven by a hunger for profit and a lack of transparency https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/01/betsy-devoss-accountability-problem/513047/). What about individuals in red states that ARE utilizing the ACA to treat themselves, and then the governing body is like nahhh, subsidies and taking care of our people creates and engenders this idea of "givers" and "takers." Another classic right-wing myth. The "takers" are people on food stamps barely getting by. The takers are people that need to take because they need the help. That's what being an American is about. ALL men are created equal. To say givers and takers is further inciting divisive rhetoric that ignores crucial facts. Even your own speaker thought as much! https://thinkprogress.org/paul-ryan-apologizes-for-calling-the-poor-takers-3581b60925a2#.tf984x8v4 ugh, just needed to vent. reading about all the executive orders after hearing for years r's crying foul over O's executive actions... I just needed to get a some thangs out. Meant no offense in any of the above, just impassioned-political discussion.

the gipper shant be proud

I'm out in Seattle, and would love love love to attend, but it's busy season for work right now and I got a full day ahead of me tomorrow I'm certainly not hopeful on the financial front. I'm meeting with my financial mentor (family friend) this weekend to discuss strategy. A lot of worrying indications that the economy is back on the bubble.

Do you mind sharing what you mean by, 'taking steps IRL'. I get the feeling you aren't referring to financial planning. not at all, I've been volunteering for planned parenthood and for the sierra club. I'm a dude, but the woman I'm seeing/women friends I have... I just listen to 'em. The girl I'm dating is moving up getting an iud because she gets her care through PP and doesn't know what'll happen in the near future. As far as the environment goes: it's so sad how far-gone it is. The damage we've done is nearly irreparable and all that we've heard of related to DJT's admin could have incredibly negative impacts on the environement (see: wanting to repeal the Clean Air Act). I mean, they have already removed the White House's webpage on combating climate change! That's not the end-all-be-all, but a microcosm of the larger issue imo. GAH LOLLLL in terms of financial planning, I've been monitoring the market more closely. Strong signs have been pointing to a bear market/recession in the next 5 years - so i'm trying to plan accordingly!

I'm not down with the boi, and I've taken steps irl to help/mitigate disastrous aspects of his candidacy and transition period, but I hope he pulls it out. I think we all wish that.

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Seeing on Monday! Can't wait!